where n is number of disaccharide units n = 0 in a tetrasaccharide (dp4) n =1 in a hexasaccharide (dp6) n = 2 in an octasaccharide (dp8) etc…..

Uronic acid (∆UA) at the non-reducing ends of the oligosaccharides has a C4-C5 double bond as a result of endolytic scission. The main disaccharide repeat in the origonal chondroitin sulphate is GlcA - GalNAc sulphated at C-4 or C-6 of the GalNAc residue.